Bahrain Eases Document Submission Deadlines for Industrial Property Applications
The Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce has implemented temporary measures to address ongoing difficulties in completing notarization and legalization procedures, as well as delays in submitting required documents within statutory deadlines.
Pursuant to Decision No. 13 of 2026, effective March 17, 2026, the Ministry has introduced a grace period for the submission of attested documents, including powers of attorney (POAs), across all industrial property matters. These measures apply to trademarks, patents, utility models, and industrial designs.
Article 1 of the Decision permits trademark agents and owners to submit applications and supporting documents without prior notarization or legalization. However, applicants must submit a formal request explaining the specific reasons for their inability to complete the required attestations. Under this provision, applicants are granted an additional three (3) months to complete the legalization process. This three-month period is calculated either from the date of submission of the extension request or from the expiration of the original document submission deadline, as applicable.
Article 2 stipulates that applications will only be formally accepted upon payment of the applicable official fees and submission of the duly legalized original documents within the granted three-month grace period.
Article 3 clarifies that these provisions apply to all new applications, as well as to existing applications that have not yet undergone formal examination, or that have been examined but remain incomplete due to the absence of required authenticated documents.
Article 4 provides that the competent department within the Ministry will review and assess all requests submitted under this Decision to ensure that they are justified and consistent with prevailing regional logistical challenges.
Failure to submit the required legalized documents or POAs within the three-month grace period will result in the application being deemed void and treated as though it had never been filed. This Decision shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) months from its date of issuance.
